What To Listen For In Music

I was given this book a while ago by a good friend of mine, and it is one of the things that changed a lot of my perspectives in music. I come from a life of Rockin', and by rockin' I mean listening and playing songs by groups such as: Metallica, Pantera, AC/DC, Lynrd Skynrd - all of your necessities for rockin and camaro cruisin'. I mainly relied on distorted guitars and gut busting bass parts and double kick riffs on the drums that would drive you to an early heart attack. (The nice thing is that these would all cover up bad vocals coming from me)
After reading the book, "What to listen for in Music", my perspective changed. I've always had a heart and knowledge for dynamics within music, but through this book I learned to look at creating music in a different way.
I like to look at a music piece as an empty canvas waiting to be painted on. The rhythm section is supposed to lay down the foundation of colors for the painting, while the main instruments should be the ones who will show the main picture of what the artist is trying to portray. These main instruments (i.e. guitar and vocals) will be accented by the harmonies and will in effect help push the main instruments even more to the forefront. Though all of these instruments are important, my favorite is the "color instruments" (i.e. accordian, violin, trumpet, etc.) who give the long brush strokes. I usually like to use the example of Miles Davis and how though he played really busy parts during his solos, there were times that he would get so much out of holding one note, stretching it, and only strengthening what was going on in front of him. David Gilmore from Pink Floyd was also a master at adding just the right amount of one note or feedback to compliment the rest of what was going on around him.
Yeah I'm a nerd, but this concept does help us right brainers understand the concept of dynamics and placement of instrumentation just a little bit more.

Music I dig right now: Still digging Musicology - the song musicology is a shout out to the songs that brought funk music to where it is today: "Let's Groove, September/ Earth Wind and Fire/ Hot Pants by James/ Sly's gonna take you higher